Centule IV Gaston (died 1058), called the Old, was the seventh Viscount of Béarn from 1012 to his death. He succeeded his father Gaston II while yet a minor, under a regency until 1022. His mother was his father's wife of an unknown name.

Reign

Centule placed great importance on maintaining good relations with the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. In the year in which he assumed the powers of government, he founded the near the border with Bigorre. He was subsequently installed as the ''defensor'' of that monastery and of the lands of

Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...

Gascony Gascony (; ) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part of the combined Province of Guyenne and Gascon ...

and Béarn by his suzerain Sancho VI William of Gascony. In 1033, Centule confirmed the possession of the county of

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by Duke Odo. He strove to expand his power into neighboring territories and married Angela, daughter and heiress of the neighboring Viscount Aner II Lupo of Oloron, thus uniting those two entities. He gained the valleys of Aspe, Ossau, and all the way from the river Oloron to Navarrenx. His eldest son Gaston III was associated with the vicecomital throne, but died in or before 1045. He warred against the viscounts of Dax and

Soule Soule (; Basque language, Basque: Zuberoa; Zuberoan/ Soule Basque: Xiberoa or Xiberua; ) is a former viscounty and France, French Provinces of France, province and part of the present-day Pyrénées-Atlantiques ''département in France, départ ...

, killing the viscount Arnold II of Dax in 1050. He himself died in a Souletin ambush eight years later. His grandson Centule V succeeded him.

Children

Aside from Gaston, he had six children: *Raymond Centule *Aureol Centule, lord of , Igon, Baudreix, and Auga *Igon *Baudreix *Boeil *Auga

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Centule 04 Of Bearn 1058 deaths Viscounts of Béarn Military personnel killed in action Year of birth unknown